Many of them were also Adventurer’s Club alumni, and had been with the company for decades.
It’s hard to believe that for about 30 years, the Magic Kingdom and Epcot had more attractions, shows, and parades than in 2019; the Studios had more special events and bigger entertainment; the resorts had more dining and recreation options; the restaurants had larger menus and were easier to reserve; and Downtown Disney/Pleasure Island had more unique shopping, nightclubs, and comedy clubs. It was pricey but worth the value. That’s what built WDW’s reputation.
Yet by 2018, Pixie Dust fans were raving about special-edition cupcakes and defending the budget cuts, the closures, and the insanely overpriced hotels. If a long-time fan pointed out that the company was slowly tearing away everything that made it “Disney,” the fan was derided as a Doom-and-Gloomer, Boomer, or worse.
Next year will be interesting as the resort slowly recovers from Covid closures and All Star hotels launch at $200/night (!). This is while moderate resorts hit $400—the same as a Hyatt Regency in NYC or a Ritz-Carlton in smaller markets.
How long will people keep paying progressively more for less?